US Open day two: Federer survives, Kerber crushed

Sometimes it’s not a case of how you do it, simply getting the win is what matters. Roger Federer, and to a lesser extent Rafael Nadal, will attest to that after a rain interrupted day two at the US Open.

The men: Federer, Nadal through

…and breathe. He knew it was going to be hard, but Roger Federer probably wasn’t expecting to be pushed to five sets by Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the US Open. The world No.3, who was far from his best against the talented American, came through an epic match 4-6 6-2 6-1 1-6 6-4 in two hours 37 minutes.

Tiafoe came out swinging, breaking Federer early and taking the first. As the match progressed, Federer seemed to settle and get the measure of the 20 year-old, racing away with the second and third. Tiafoe might have been down, but he wasn’t yet out. The American started to swinging again in the fourth – and Federer began looking laboured – as he levelled the match at two sets apiece.

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Cue a nervy fifth set. Federer broke early, only to be broken back while serving for the match at 5-3. Serving to stay in the match, Tiafoe began to falter, and a slip on match point was all Federer needed to book his spot in the second round.

“It was a good test – I think we both enjoyed ourselves out here,” Federer said after the match. “I’m happy with the match – it was exciting.”

Earlier in the day, Rafael Nadal had a similarly slow start to his US Open campaign, beating Dusan Lajovic 7-6(6) 6-2 6-2. The Spaniard was down a break midway through the opening set, before breaking back to force an opening set tiebreak. Pushed to the very end, Nadal edged it 8-6 and took a decisive one set lead.

Lajovic was spent. After a first set that took over an hour, the top seed wrapped up the next two in a near-identical time. While it wasn’t the perfect start for the top seed, the Spaniard was happy enough to get his US Open campaign up and running.

“I need to keep improving, the first round is never easy. You want to do well from the beginning. I want to focus on trying to do my work well,” Nadal said, before insulting the roof.

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The women: Kerber stunned, Pliskova cruises

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Karolina Pliskova and Angelique Kerber famously duked it out for the title in 2016, but their fortunes differed dramatically today on Arthur Ashe. While Pliskova cruised to a 6-2 6-1 win over Magda Linette, Angelique Kerber was blitzed by Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka.

It was the seventh time this year that Kerber has crashed out of a tournament in the opening round. But it wasn’t so much the 6-3 6-1 defeat against the world No.45 that was so worrying, it was the manner of it. Kerber was simply out-powered and out-played by the free-swinging 19 year-old.

“She just goes for it,” Kerber lamented after the match. “I think she took the chances and she played a very good match.”

RELATED: Gallery – Day two at the US Open

French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was the fortunate beneficiary of a fast moving day session on Ashe, as her rain delayed match was moved onto the Centre Court. In a typically topsy turvey encounter for the Latvian, Ostapenko downed Arruabarrena 6-2 1-6 6-1.

Elsewhere, Madison Keys was a 6-3 7-6(6) winner over Belgium’s Elise Mertens; Barbora Strycova downed Misaki Doi 6-1 6-3; Yanina Wickmayer was a 6-3 6-1 winner over 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko; and Sorana Cirstea downed Kerkhove 6-1 6-3.